Marine vehicle with rolling buoyant supports



Jan. 17, 1967 c. SANDERS MARINE VEHICLE WITH ROLLING BUOYANT SUPPORTSFiled April 28, 1965 INVENTOR: 55 6 Ima es $122K WORNEY U ited ta e fl'ifi O r 3,298,348 MARINE VEHICLE WITH ROLLING BUOYANT SUPPORTS Lee C;Sanders, P.O. Box 1344, Nashville, Tenn. 37212 Filed Apr. 28, 1965, Ser.No. 451,533 1 Claim. (Cl. 1151) This invention relates to a marinevehicle with rolling buoyant supports, and more particularly to a marinevehicle supported by buoyant wheels having means for reducing the dragandimproving the lift of the vehicle.

In prior marine vehicles having rolling buoyant supports or whee-ls, thebuoyant wheels present inertial and frictional problems to efiicientpropulsion through the water, primarily because of the size of thewheels required merely to support the body of the vehicle above thewater. The faster the vehicle is propelled over the water, the greaterthe drag of the wheels. Even though the wheels are mounted on thevehicle for free rotatable movement, such movement does not necessarilyoccur automatically or consistently. Theless the Wheel rotates or rolls,the more friction is developed between the wheels and the water, and thegreater the drag caused by the wheels on the vehicle.

. .It is therefore an object of this invention to overcomethesedisadvantages by providing a marine vehicle having buoyant wheelsupports provided with means not only to consistently roll the Wheels,but also to effect a lift to the vehicle, as it moves through the water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a marine vehicle havingnon-driven, rotatable, buoyant wheels with radial vanes formed on thewheels for effecting a rolling and lifting movement to the wheels.

A further object of this invention is to provide a marine vehiclesupported on buoyant wheels for movement on water or land, in which thewheels are provided with means for rolling and lifting the wheels inwater.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the invention disclosing the approximatewater levels when the vehicle is at rest and also at maximum speed.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the vehicle includes anelongated body, such as a boat hull, for carrying passengers and cargo,if desired. Although in the operation of this invention the body 11 willbe sustained above the surface of the water at all times, still it ispreferred that the body 11 be buoyant, so that it can be sustained uponthe water surface if it becomes necessary. Therefore, the preferred formof the elongated body 11 is a boat hull, as disclosed in the drawings.

Adapted to support the hull 11 above the surface of the water are aplurality of buoyant supports, such as the wheels 13. Although anynumber of wheels 13 may be used, six wheels are shown in the drawings,there being three wheels on each side of the hull 11 mounted forrotation in substantially parallel vertical longitudinal planes. Eachwheel 13 is mounted to freely rotate, preferably on ball bearings, notshown, about the individual axles 14. As best disclosed on the left rearwheel 13, the axle 14 is fixed to an upright piston shaft 15 adapted toreciprocate within the hydraulic cylinder 16, which in turn is fixed tothe side of the hull 11 by a strut 17. In a similar manner, each wheel13 is independently supported or suspended for shock absorption in orderto provide maximum stability in the hull 11 as each wheel 13 reacts tothe surface of the water and the different wave formations.

Each buoyant wheel 13 may be made of any convenient material, such asrubber or plastic, and of course is hollow and inflated with air orother gas to render the wheel buoyant. Moreover the wheels 13 aresufiicientlylarge, both in width and diameter, and provided insuflicient number, to adequately support the hull 11 above the surfaceof the water at all times. Thus, as shown in the drawings, the width ofeach wheel 13 is substantially greater, in relation to the diameter,than the width of ordinary wheels, in order to provide adequate buoyancywithout substantially enlargingthe diameter of each wheel 13. The designof the vehicle 10, including the weight, length and other factors willof course, determine the number and size and relative dimensions of thebuoyant wheels 13.

In addition to the design of the wheel 13 for buoyancy, a plurality ofvanes 20 or fins are formed, preferably integrally, on the outerperiphery of and extending radially from each .wheel 13. As shown in thedrawings, each wheel 13 includes four radial vanes 20 equally spaced atintervals about the circumference of wheel 13. It will be understoodthat more or fewer vanes 20 may be employed if desired. 1

The vanes 20 preferably extend the full width of the wheels 13, butprotrude radially only a distance sufficient to be thrust by the waterto rotate the wheel 13 as the vehicle 10 is propelled through the water.Although the primary purpose of the vehicle 10 is to be propelledthrough the water, it may also be moved on dry land, at least for alimited distance, for purposes such as landing or beaching the vehicle10. Therefore, it is preferred that the radial extent of the vane 20 belimited to permit the wheel 13 to roll on land at limited speeds anddistances without damage to the vanes 20 or excessive discomfort to thepassengers.

In order to propel the vehicle 10, a motor 22 is mounted on the hull 11,preferably at the rear, and preferably swiveled for turning by thehandle 24 to change the direction of movement of the vehicle 10. Themotor 22 is shown in the drawings drivingly supporting an air propeller25 above the water levels 30 and 31 at all times. Although it ispossible to employ a motor 22 having a marine propeller submergedbeneath the surface of the water, still the air propeller 25 ispreferred to permit the vehicle 10 to be propelled not only through thewater, but also upon the land.

In the operation of the invention, the wheels 13 are partially submergedin the water to approximately the vicinity of the axles 14 when thevehicle 10 is at rest, as represented by the water level 30 in FIG. 2.Of course the water level 30 will vary depending upon the weight of thehull 11 and the load supported in the hull. In this position, the hull11 as well as the air propeller 25 are supported completely above thewater level 30. Also, in the normal rest position at least one vane 20is submerged in the water below the level 30. FIG. 2 discloses only onevane 20 below the water level, although it will be understood that ifthe wheel 13 were rotated slightly, then two vanes 20 would besubmerged.

After the hull 11 is loaded with passengers and cargo, if desired, themotor 22 is started to rotate the propeller 25 to thrust the hull 11forward. As the hull 11 gradually accelerates forward, it carries thewheels 13 forward through the water at the same velocity andacceleration of the hull 11. Of course, the six wide wheels 13half-submerged in the water present a substantial drag to the forwardprogress of the vehicle 10. However, as the wheels 13 move forwardly,the reaction of the water against the submerged vanes 20 forces thesubmerged vanes to the rear, or in a clockwise direction as viewed inFIG. 2, to cause the wheels 13 to rotate freely about their axles 14.Thus, the rotatable movement or rolling of the wheels 13 in the water asthe vehicle 10 is pro- 3 pelled forwardly, reduces some of the frictionbetween the wheels 13 and the water.

However, the most important advantage of the vanes 20 is that thereaction of the water against the rotating submerged vanes 20 alsocreates a lifting effect upon the wheel 13 and consequently the hull 11as the speed of the vehicle increases. As the vehicle 10 moves faster,the combination of the rolling and the rising of the Wheels reduces thefriction of the wheels in the water to decrease the total drag on thevehicle 10, so that the vehicle 10 can move faster with proportionatelyless power. When the vehicle attains its maximum speed, the water levelwill be approximately at 31 in FIG. 2 With relation to the vehicle 10.Thus, the vehicle 10 substantially achieves the combined advantages of acatamaran, a hydrofoil craft, and a wheeled vehicle rolling over asupporting surface.

As the vehicle 10 moves across the water surface, each individual wheel13 will react independently to the various wave and water surfaceformations encountered because of the shock absorbers -16, to achievemaximum stability and comfort in the hull 11. It will, of course, beunderstood that other types of shock absorbers might be employed, suchas springs, in place of the hydraulic cylinders 16.

In order to avoid disembarking in shallow water or docking, the vehicle10 may roll upon the bank or beach at the waters edge, and may even moveto higher, drier ground, or to other limited destinations so that theoccupants of the vehicle 10 may disembark without getting wet or soiled.Moreover, the vanes 20, although possibly creating a bumpy ride, willalso afford excellent traction in soft or wet ground surfaces.

It will be understood that other forms of propulsion may be employed ifdesired. The marine or motor boat motor has already been mentioned. Thesame lifting effect and efiiciency in the vehicle 10 can be obtained bytowing from another boat. It will also be understood that the means fordriving or propelling the hull 11 are separate and independent from thebuoyant wheels 13, which are not positively or motor-driven, but aredriven only by the reaction of the water against the radial vanes as thewheels 13 are moved through the water.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isshown in the drawings and described in the specification but only asindicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A marine vehicle comprising:

(a) an elongated body for carrying passengers,

(b) a plurality of non-driven buoyant wheels,

(0) means mounting said wheels on opposite sides of said body for freerotatable movement in substantially vertical, longitudinal planes,

(d) said wheels being sufficiently buoyant in water to support said bodyabove the surface of the water when the body is at rest or in motion,

(e) vanes fixed to the peripheral surface of and extending transverselyof and radially from each of said wheels, said vanes beingcircumferentially spaced on said surface so that at least one vane isimmersed in said water at any given time while said vehicle is supportedon said water, so that said wheels rotate as said wheels movelongitudinally through the water, and

(f) drive means fixed to said body and operative, in-

dependently of said non-driven wheels, to propel said bodylongitudinally.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,263,192 4/1918Bergman 19 X 1,484,410 2/1924 Pridgen 1151 2,432,107 12/ 1947 Williams115-1 2,821,949 2/1958 Uyehara 115-1 2,823,637 2/1958 Cheramie 115-1References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,420,783 6/1922 Swencki. 2,187,658 1/1940 Lane et al. 2,7 05,935 4/ 1955 Peterson.2,809,972 7/1957 Jacobson et al. 2,955,635 10/ 1960 Miller.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner.

